“The Cyber Five” is here and it’s mobile!

No, it’s not a new super hero movie or this season’s hottest toy, but rather what industry insiders are calling the busy online shopping period after Thanksgiving when shoppers can expect to find the best deals from their favorite retailers. More specifically, Cyber Five is the week-long shopping holiday defined as the five consecutive days from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday which includes Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Super Sunday.

The combination of growing online sales as well as mobile friendly shopping sites means that consumers no longer need to wake-up at the crack of dawn on Black Friday to wait in line for that uber cheap 46” LCD TV, but instead can order from the comfort of their home using their iPhone and still take advantage of great deals not just on one or two specific days, but throughout the entire weekend and up until Cyber Monday. Some online retailers offer the same deals all five days, while others are constantly changing their offering to keep consumers coming back to see what’s new. It’s from this extended holiday shopping phenomenon that the Cyber Five was born.

Let’s examine some statistics behind the Cyber Five:

Black Friday 2016 broke the prior online sales record with $3.34 billion in sales, 21.6% growth over 2015. In addition, Black Friday became the first day in retail history to drive over one billion dollars in mobile revenue at $1.2 billion, which was 33% growth over the prior year. The past two years, Black Friday mobile sales have outpaced Cyber Monday which underscores the importance of mobile.

Almost 109 million people shopped from their computers and mobile devices from Thanksgiving through Sunday, while 99 million people visited brick-and-mortar stores. That’s compared to 2015, when shoppers were more evenly split (103 million online vs. 102 million in stores).

Mobile phones and tablet devices accounted for 57% of visits to retailers online stores and 40% of all sales. Smartphones drove twice as many sales as tablets, at 27% and 13%, respectively.

Amazon stated that mobile orders on Thanksgiving Day topped Cyber Monday last year, while Walmart said that over 70% of its Thanksgiving online traffic was mobile. Target saw 60% of Thanksgiving sales from mobile devices.

The online growth trend continues and mobile is playing an increasingly important role. As recent results demonstrate, spending more time with family over the Thanksgiving weekend while keeping a close eye on your smartphone is quickly become the new shopping norm. How did you shop during the Cyber Five this year? Share your experiences in the comments section below.